Springfield Cardinals Shut Out Tulsa Drillers 4-0 - KTTS

By Don Louzader

CREATED 2:15 PM

The Springfield Cardinals got shutout pitching and timely hitting, making quick work of the Tulsa Drillers 4-0 Monday afternoon at Hammons Field.

Seth Maness (1-0), making his first start since being called up from Class A, scattered five hits over 7 2/3 innings to get the win. Eric Fornataro shut down the Drillers for the final 1 2/3 innings. 

Edwar Cabrera (4-4), took the loss for Tulsa, giving up three runs on six hits in six innings. 

Springfield jumped out in front 1-0 in the bottom of the 4th as Jermaine Curtis and Oscar Taveras started the frame with back to back singles. After a walk to Kyle Conley, leftfielder Jake Shaffer drove in a run with a base hit, but the Cardinals left the bases loaded, failing to score another run that inning. 

The Cardinals added to their lead with two more runs in the bottom of the 6th with Xavier Scruggs picking up an RBI double and Maness helping his cause with a sacrifice fly that made the score 3-0.

Conley then brought the crowd of 4,135 to a roar with a home run over the leftfield wall in the 7th that gave Springfield a 4-0 lead.

With the win, Springfield improves to 20-24 and pulls within five games of the first place Drillers in the Texas League North.

After an off day Tuesday, the Cardinals hit the road for three games in San Antonio and three at Corpus Christi beginning Wednesday.